


Once Upon a Time

by TheWeatherOutside



Series: Fairy Tale AU [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Angst, Blood, Faking your own death, Gen, Minor Character Death, Murder, kind of gory, not too bad tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23666218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWeatherOutside/pseuds/TheWeatherOutside
Summary: A story told through fairy tales, but not as you know them.
Series: Fairy Tale AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1717582
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Rapunzel

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this AU is going, but this story is what I've got so far XD
> 
> I hope it makes sense and you all enjoy it!

_Rapunzel!_   
_Rapunzel!_   
_Let down your hair!_   
_That I may climb thy golden stair!_

He stumbled over a root as he ran through the forest, but he wouldn’t let it slow him down. There was a rustling coming from behind him. He was sure something was chasing him, but he wouldn’t risk spending precious seconds turning around to see, so instead he kept on running.

He could feel himself beginning to tire and he didn’t know how much longer he would last. The forest was never-ending. He had been hoping that he’d find the other side before this forest would consume him.

He’d heard the tales of what lived in here. Barely anyone made it out alive, and those that did came out with stories that would stop you from sleeping ever again.

It was a mistake to come through here. He should have ignored the fact that this was a shortcut. Those extra few hours would have been worth it if he came out _alive_.

Then, just as he thought he had no hope of seeing another human being ever again, he ran into a clearing and almost face first into a tower.

He stopped abruptly in his tracks and gazed up at the tall tower that stood over all the trees. There was a single window that sat up at the top, and when he focused his gaze on it, he saw two eyes peering down at him.

“Hello,” a voice called from above.

“Uh, hi?” He replied. He was panting from his sprint. “Who are you?”

Before the mysterious voice could reply, there was a low growl from behind him. He had forgotten about the thing chasing him, and he turned towards the trees fearfully.

“There’s a door.”

“What?” His gaze didn’t dare leave the trees.

“At the bottom of the tower. There’s a door, come in.”

He was about to question that again, but another growl kicked him into turning back to face the tower.

Sure enough, there was a door beneath overgrown vines that had hidden it from his view before. It was thick and metal, but when he reached for the handle, the door wouldn’t budge.

“It’s locked!” He called up to the person in panic, hoping they would help him.

“There should be a key around there somewhere. Try under a rock.”

He searched around frantically, and eventually managed to find a key wedged between a rock and the base of the tower. He didn’t hesitate to unlock the door and stepped through the doorway, slamming it closed behind him.

He breathed heavily as he slumped against the door, and he took in his surroundings.

All he could see was a spiral staircase leading further up the tower, so once he got his breath back a bit more, he began to climb them.

When he reached the top, he stepped into a round room with a single window. It was pretty dark in there, except for the lantern that was lit in the middle of the room.

“Hello,” the voice said again, and someone stepped into the light.

It was a man, similar to his age. Shadows were cast over his face, so he couldn’t get a good look at him.

“Thank you. I thought I was going to die,” he said to the man.

The man chuckled. “It’s really me who should be thanking you.”

“Why me?” He laughed nervously when the man smiled. “You were the one who just saved my life.”

“I don’t think I did.” The man stepped closer, still smiling. “In fact, you just saved mine.”

“Wait, what?” His own smile fell in confusion.

“You were too caught up in trying to get away from what’s out there, that you didn’t question why I am in _here_.”

He looked around the room again and realised that the room he was in was practically empty. It wasn’t like a home; it was like a _prison_.

He went to take a step back towards the stairs, but suddenly there was a hand on his arm that gripped him in place.

“Who are you?” His heart was racing as this man stood in front of him, looming over him.

The man didn’t reply, instead he gave him a wide grin, and his breath caught in his throat. Even in the shadows, he recognised that face. He’d seen it on too many wanted posters to forget it.

“H-Haywood.”

He’d heard about all the things this man had done before he got caught. He’d killed so many people, all in the most brutal ways. He was a horror story you told kids so they wouldn’t stay out after dark.

“It’s nice to know that even from in here I’m still remembered.”

Before he knew it, there was a sharp pain in his neck and liquid filled his throat. He choked and he was dropped to the ground.

He couldn’t breathe as Haywood stepped over him. His vision was already getting blurry.

“Thank you for unlocking the door. I’m so sorry to leave you here, but I can’t have word getting out that I’m free.”

He struggled for breath, but he couldn’t get any air past all the blood in his throat. The last thing he saw was the infamous Ryan Haywood making his way out of his tower, before his limbs went limp and everything went dark.


	2. Little Red Riding Hood

_"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"_   
_"All the better to eat you up with."_   
_And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up._

Michael hated getting jobs like this, but he knew it was what he needed to do as his role of a protector of his town. He had to take out anything that was a threat to the safety of his people. He just wished that he could do something a little more interesting than take out a few bandits who lived in the woods.

It was an easy job by this point. He already had a routine for doing jobs like this, it was practically second nature to him.

He made sure his sword was tucked beneath his cloak, not visible to any prying eyes. He pulled his cloak closer around himself, like he was feeling cold. It was a bright red, he didn’t know why he had it or where he’d gotten it from, but it worked with his plan. It made him draw attention.

Sure enough, after walking through the woods near where he’d heard the bandits were thought to be living, he heard a twig snap nearby. He jumped at the sound and pulled the cloak tighter around himself.

There was another noise, this time closer, and suddenly a man jumped out from behind a tree in front of him.

“Where you off to this late in the day? It’s about to get dark.”

“Just passing through,” Michael replied, trying not to make eye contact.

“Don’t think it’s safe for you to be out here so late. I hear it’s dangerous,” a new voice said, this time a woman.

Michael stopped walking when the man in front of him prevented him from going any further. He heard the sound of a couple more of them approach him from behind.

“Just let me by.” He feigned terror when they stepped closer.

“I don’t think so.”

Michael looked up slightly from where his gaze had been on the floor. They all had weapons on them, but none of them were out, which meant that they didn’t find him a treat. Perfect.

He grinned.

Before they had a chance to react, he pulled out his sword from beneath his cloak and went for the man in front of him, and then the woman. The rest were down before they could even pull out their swords. Just like he’d predicted, it was easy.

He searched their bodies for anything that was worth taking. That was the only thing good about these jobs. No one was around to stop him from taking whatever they’d taken from others.

He took note of the number of bandits he’d taken down. He counted four bodies. He didn’t know if that had been all of them, but those were the only ones who’d made their appearance, and he hadn’t seen or heard anyone else around, so he assumed that was all of them.

Michael would try to find their hideout tomorrow to see if that was all of them, but that could wait. They were right about it getting late, and he didn’t want to be out after dark. Not because he was scared, but because the weather was getting cold and he didn’t want to freeze out in the middle of a forest.

He headed back to his house. It sat on the edge of the town, the closest one to the woods, so he didn’t have far to go. He could see light shining through the window, meaning that his roommate was already home.

Michael opened the door and threw down the bag he’d stolen from one of the bandits.

“Hey, Max!” He called to his best friend, hoping that he would hear him from wherever he was in the house. “I’m ho-”

He was cut off by the view that greeted him.

Laying in the middle of the living room was the bloodied body of his roommate, and standing over him was a bandit holding out a red-stained sword.

“You killed him!” Michael said in shock. He knew he was pointing out the obvious, but it was all he could focus on.

“You killed my people first,” the bandit replied, and Michael cursed himself for not counting how many bandits there were sooner.

Then, the bandit was running at him. Michael pulled out his sword swiftly and without much effort, the bandit was down. Not that it mattered, Michael was already too late.

He dropped his sword and ran over to his friend. Max was already dead, a gaping wound in his chest that still leaked blood.

“I’m so sorry,” Michael sobbed as he pulled the body of his best friend into his lap, his head on his chest. Blood soaked into his clothes, but he didn’t even notice, not even how it disappeared into the red of his cloak.

Michael sat there for a while, probably hours, before he stood up again. He couldn’t stay here anymore. How could he protect this town when he couldn’t protect the one person who mattered to him? When the rest of the town found out what happened, they wouldn’t trust him anymore. He had to leave.

He grabbed his sword and put it back in his sheath, and then threw what he thought he’d need into a bag before he ran out of the door.

He didn’t look back, he didn’t think he could, instead he kept on running. He ran back into the woods and didn’t stop until he knew he was far away.


	3. Snow White

_One day when the queen asked her mirror:_   
_Mirror, mirror, on the wall,_   
_Who in this land is fairest of all?_   
_It answered:_   
_You, my queen, are fair; it is true._   
_But Snow-White is a thousand times fairer than you._

If asked, Gavin would say that he lived a happy life. He had a roof over his head and food on the table every day, and he never struggled for money. He was always told by his parents that he was handsome and perfect.

He knew that was not the same for everybody in this world, and he knew that those who struggled judged him for the easy life he lived.

It wasn’t his fault, though. He was born into a family that was well off because they owned their own business. His parents had built their wealth up from nothing, so even though he never knew what it was like to struggle just to get through each day, he heard stories about it from them.

That didn’t matter to the rest of his town, though, who looked at their expensive area of the town in disgust, whilst they all had to live in the slums.

Then, when Gavin was older, his parents died. First, it was his mother. She came down with a sickness that even their wealth couldn’t fight off. After her death, his father told Gavin that he would take over their company once he was gone too.

It wasn’t long after that he died. It was an accident, he’d been hit by some carriage that had come loose and crashed into him when he was on his way home from work, and then after that Gavin was left on his own.

Things were going smooth for a while. Gavin had donated a large amount of the business’s profits to the less fortunate, as he knew he didn’t need all that money anyway. That seemed to get the rest of the town on his good side, and one day they even showed up with a basket filled with freshly picked fruit at his doorstep.

“We were so devastated to hear about your mother passing away, and then your father so soon,” an old woman said as she handed him the basket. “I hope this is enough to show our gratitude for all you’ve done for this town.”

“It’s more than enough,” Gavin smiled as he took the basket.

The woman had given him a wide grin and left. Gavin had left the basket in a table and had disappeared into what was once his father’s study. He had some work to do and wanted to get it done before the day was over.

He was still trying to familiarise himself with the way running a business worked and was delving into a backlog of reports that his father had filled out.

Gavin was looking for one report in particular, something from the previous summer, but his father had never been one for being organised and it took Gavin a while to find it.

He searched under the loose paper that littered his desk, before he tried the drawers. They also were a mess and he had to rummage around in them before he found anything useful.

Just as he found the report he was looking for, his hand brushed against something heavy at the bottom of the drawer. He reached beneath the clutter and pulled out a worn-out journal.

Gavin realised that it must be his father’s and hesitated in opening it. His father clearly didn’t want anyone to find it, but Gavin missed his parents dearly and he so badly wanted to hold onto them with the small things he had left.

He opened the journal and began to read what was inside. Most of it was things to do with his father’s business, small scribbles of information he had quickly noted down in a hurry. It wasn’t anything Gavin needed to know, so he flicked through it to some of the most recently filled pages to see if there was anything of interest.

On one of the final pages, there was a date at the top. Gavin recognised it as just a few days after his mother had died, and concern filled him as he started to read the entry.

_There is something that still does not make sense about my wife’s death. She was always healthy, she never got sick. Yet, this sickness that came over her was so sudden and unlike anything I have ever seen before._

_It could be nothing, but I do know she was out at the florist just the day before she got sick. Perhaps I shall ask them if anything seemed concerning with her._

Gavin frowned at what he read and turned over the page to read the next entry. The next date was following day.

_The florist knew nothing. She offered her condolences as well as a beautiful flower. I declined; they were more my wife’s thing._

_Perhaps I am just over-reacting. I miss her._

When Gavin turned to the next page, it was just more things about his father’s work. Gavin flicked through the pages quickly. He knew that wasn’t it.

Just as he thought, he managed to find another entry set a month later.

_I could not leave it alone. Something just wasn’t right, and I was correct._

_I did some further investigating about that florist and the flower she gave me. It is known as the Autumn Crocus, a highly poisonous plant if ingested._

_I believe this to be how my wife got sick, although I still have no idea how she consumed it. But why did the florist want me to have it as well?_

Gavin frantically flicked through the next few pages, but nothing else his father wrote had an answer to that question. He didn’t even state anything more about the florist and whether she was the cause of his mother’s death.

Gavin wondered why his father had never told him about any of this, but then he reached the last page of the journal.

The final entry was dated for the day before his father’s death. The writing was messy and hard to read, like it was written in a hurry.

_I know something is wrong now. How did I not see it before? I know for a fact that that florist killed my wife. I’m going to turn her in tomorrow. I don’t have proof yet, but I will._

_Gavin, I’m sorry for not telling you about this sooner. I will explain it all once I am back._

Gavin felt tears well up in his eyes at the final line.

_If I come back._

Gavin sat staring at the journal as the information settled in. If his dad was right, then his mother wasn’t sick, she was _murdered_.

His eyes widened as the pieces came together.

His dad didn’t die in an accident, he was killed on purpose as well.

Gavin threw the journal onto the desk and hurried into the living room, where he’d left the basket of fruit on the table.

The fruit was positioned so perfectly, each piece was without a blemish and practically sparkling, like they had been polished. He picked up the fruit on top. It was an apple. He held in close to his face to inspect it.

It didn’t look like it would kill him if he ate it, but he wouldn’t risk it. The grin that woman gave him as she handed him the basket flashed before his eyes.

This town had killed his parents and now they wanted to kill him too. For what, their wealth? Because he had the life they all wanted? He was reminded of all the times he was called perfect by his parents, and all the times people would look at him in disgust.

They wanted him dead, and they wouldn’t stop before they succeeded.

He knew what he had to do.

He hurried into the kitchen, still carrying the apple. He found a knife and began to carve out a chunk of the apple, just big enough for a bite.

He went back to where he’d left the basket and dropped the apple onto the wooden floor nearby. Then, he grabbed as few things as he could, including his father’s journal, and then made his way to the backdoor.

It was dark out, which made it easier to sneak past the houses. They wouldn’t find a body, but he hoped they were stupid enough to not realise what he’d done.

He reached the edge of the town and cast one last final glance at it. He felt so guilty for abandoning what his parents had built up for him, but he also knew they would not want him to stay in a place like this.

Gavin turned away before he changed his mind, and headed down the path that would lead him far away from this town.


	4. Cinderella

_Now that no one else was at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel tree, and cried out:_   
_Shake and quiver, little tree,_   
_Throw gold and silver down to me._   
_Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She quickly put on the dress and went to the festival._

He fiddled with his shirt, making sure that it was tucked in properly, and adjusted his collar. His nerves made it difficult to breathe, but he couldn’t let them come through.

He was standing at the bottom of the steps outside the palace. Noblemen and women walked past him in their finest garments. Geoff looked down at his own clothes to see if they were up to standard. He felt bad for the tailor he stole them from, but he was sure they wouldn’t be missed. At least not for tonight.

Geoff made his way up the steps, knowing that just standing there would make him look suspicious.

He nodded to the guard waiting at the entrance and relaxed just slightly when the guard let him past with no problem.

The ballroom he entered was gigantic. He had never seen a room so big. He had never even had a house that was as big as this room.

The room was filled with all the highest-ranking members of society, including royalty from all over the world. Even in his fancy clothes, Geoff felt like he stood out like a sore thumb. He just wanted to get this over with quickly before someone figured out that he didn’t belong.

Geoff wandered around the room for a bit, he even joined in on the dancing for a short while so he wasn’t just standing around awkwardly, whilst he waited for the one person he’d come here for.

He was probably there for a couple of hours before he saw the man.

The prince was standing with a small group of people. His head was thrown back as he laughed at something that was said, and then he took a long sip of his wine.

Geoff felt sick watching him, but he swallowed that down and made his way over to the group with a smile on his face.

He fell in with them easily. It wasn’t hard, he just needed to laugh at the right moments and agree with any opinions that were voiced. He stood close to the prince and made sure that he kept brushing his hand against his arm.

Before he knew it, the prince was throwing his arm around Geoff’s shoulder and whispering in his ear.

“Let’s find somewhere more private.”

He led Geoff through the palace. The hallways were long, and Geoff made a note of where they were going so he wouldn’t get lost later.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a door. The prince pushed it open and Geoff followed him in.

“A glass of wine?” The prince asked as he made his way over to the cabinet.

“Please.”

Geoff took in the room whilst he waited. It was a bedroom, most likely the prince’s. There was an expansive bed in the middle of the room, and a small table and chairs next to a fireplace.

“Please, sit.” The prince gestured to one of the seats whilst he handed Geoff his drink.

Geoff sat down in the seat. He took a sip of the drink, but then began to tap on it with his finger.

The prince sat down across from him. After he took a swig of his drink, he placed it on the table between them.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before. I don’t recognise you,” the prince said as he leant back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other.

“I don’t tend to come to these very often. I much rather prefer to stay at home.” That wasn’t a total lie.

The prince chuckled. “I must admit, I don’t always enjoy these parties either, but the company makes it worth it.”

He smirked at Geoff and it took all Geoff had to smile back.

“I am actually surprised you don’t recognise me.” Geoff finally put his drink down on the table, right of the prince’s glass.

“Oh, really? Why’s that?”

“Because you’ve been to mine before.”

“Have I?” The prince seemed thoughtful. “Where abouts do you live?”

“The orphanage.”

The smirk fell from the prince’s face.

“Well, actually I don’t live there, I work there. Or, I used to. I believe you know where I’m talking about.”

“I don’t believe I do.” His voice was clipped, like he was trying to keep his composure.

“I think you do. You were only there a week ago, when you said you were closing it down. Remember that?”

The prince turned away for a second, and Geoff picked up his drink again, the glass on the left.

The prince exhaled as he faced Geoff again. “What do you want? Money?”

“No, I just want to talk.” Geoff gripped onto the glass to keep himself steady. “Why did you shut it down?”

The prince also picked up his drink again and downed the whole thing. He wiped his chin as he put the empty glass down.

“Simple. I didn’t want vermin like that in my city.”

Geoff clenched his teeth as he willed himself to not punch this man right then and there.

“But they are just children! They have nowhere to go now!”

“And that’s supposed to be my problem?” The prince stood up. “Is that all you wanted to know? Are you-”

He broke off with a choke and he stumbled. He grabbed onto the back of the chair with one hand and gripped at his throat with the other.

“Yes, that’s all I wanted to know.” Geoff put his still half-full glass back down onto the table and stood up.

The prince coughed again. “What did you do?”

Geoff held up his right hand, where a ring sat on his middle finger. A ring that had been filled with a poisonous power that with practiced ease he’d emptied the contents of into the prince’s drink, _his_ drink that he’d swapped.

“You-” The prince leapt forward to grab him, but Geoff stepped out of the way and the prince fell down at his feet, now too weak to stand.

“I hope it was worth it.” Geoff walked back over to the door and watched as the prince writhed on the ground.

He waited until the prince stopped moving and then he stepped out of the door.

He hurried back through the hallways that he memorised and reached the ballroom again. He blended back in with the rest of the guests and checked the time on his pocket watch.

It was almost midnight, which meant it was time to head home.

He made his way through the guests and back to the front entrance. The guard gave him a suspicious glance as Geoff hurried away, but Geoff ignored him. He sped down the steps of the palace and away before anyone realised what had happened and who had done it.


	5. Peter Pan

_“But who is he, my pet?”_   
_“He is Peter Pan, you know, mother.”_   
_At first Mrs. Darling did not know, but after thinking back into her childhood she just remembered a Peter Pan who was said to live with the fairies. There were odd stories about him, as that when children died he went part of the way with them, so that they should not be frightened. She had believed in him at the time, but now that she was married and full of sense she quite doubted whether there was any such person._

He sat at the desk in his room, reading a book. It had been a long day, and this was the first time he’d had a moment to relax all day.

He cast a glance out the window. It was already dark outside, which meant that his chances of going out to play with his friends today were non-existent. Now, he would have to wait until tomorrow, unless his mom made him do more chores.

He turned his attention back to the book, but several minutes later, there was a tap at his window. He spun around quickly with a grin, already knowing who it would be.

He threw the book onto his desk and got out of his chair, before he made his way to the window.

There, standing in the light shining out of his room, was his best friend and partner in crime, Nibs.

He was standing on the other side of the glass, waving as he waited for the window to open.

“Hey, Jack!” He said as Jack opened the window.

“Keep it down,” Jack hushed him as he cast a worried glance over to his bedroom door. “Or my mom will hear you.”

“Sorry,” Nibs whispered. “Why didn’t you come out to play today?”

Jack huffed as he leant on the windowsill.

“My mom made me stay in and do chores all day,” he moaned.

“Ew.” Nibs screwed his face up as he peered into Jack’s room. “At least your room is tidy.”

“I guess.” With his foot, Jack gently nudged one of his shoes that he’d placed neatly beneath the window, wanting to badly to kick it away and destroy this organised bubble his room had been forced to become.

“Why are you here anyway?” He asked as he looked back up at his friend. “It’s kinda late, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yeah.” Nibs bent down and lifted up a hefty backpack and placed it on the windowsill between them. “I’m running away.”

“What!” Jack shrieked, then looked worriedly back at the door when he realised his voice was a tad too loud. There was no sound of anyone approaching, so he turned back around. “Why?”

“Because I’m bored!” He threw his arms up in exasperation. “I’m tired of school and having to do whatever my parents say! I want to go and do what I want.”

“But you can’t just run away!” Jack couldn’t believe his friend.

“Well, technically I already have,” Nibs shrugged. “And so have the others.”

“Others?”

“You know, the rest of the gang! We’re all just waiting on you.”

“Me?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, Jack! You’re my best friend, I can’t just leave without you. What are the rest of us gonna do without your smart brain?”

He poked Jack’s forehead and Jack took an unsure step back and began to twiddle with his fingers nervously.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled quietly. This really didn’t sound like a good idea.

“Just think about it! You won’t have to do anymore chores! You can play all day and as much as you want! We can just be kids forever and never have to grow up.”

That did sound awfully tempting. Jack did hate doing chores, and he did love to play with his friends.

He sent one last nervous glance at his bedroom door, and then he made his decision.

“Okay, I’m in. Just give me a minute to grab my stuff.”

Nibs gave him a wide grin. Jack got to gathering the things he wanted to take with him. He threw them all into a backpack, making sure to grab his teddy from his bed and the book he had been reading. He thought about going to the kitchen to grab a few snacks for the journey, but he knew if he left his room, his mom would see him and begin to question what he was up to.

He decided to leave it, hoping that his friends had brought enough food with them that they would share with him.

He slipped his feet into his boots and threw his coat on, and then he made his way back to his window where Nibs was still waiting.

Jack tossed his backpack into his friend’s arms and then with one final look at his room, he climbed out the window.

He followed Nibs to where the rest of their friends were waiting, which was by an old, abandoned shack that sat at the edge of the village.

“So, where are we going?” Jack asked after he greeted the rest of their gang.

“We’re gonna head towards the forest and see what lives on the other side of it!” Nibs replied.

“That far?” Jack swallowed. He was never allowed to go as far as the forest on his own, let alone to the other side of it.

“Of course!” Nibs slapped his back with a laugh. “What’s the point of running away if we don’t actually go anywhere?”

Nibs began to make his way down the path that lead out of the village and the rest of them followed, including Jack. Nibs was right, if they didn’t go far, they’d be found by morning. And if that happened, Jack would be doing chores for the rest of his life!

It didn’t take them long to reach the forest, but as it was already late when they’d left, Jack was quickly beginning to feel tired. But he knew they would be found easily if they didn’t head further inside, so they went a little further into the trees before they found a small clearing to hide away in, and that was where they slept for the night.

Waking up the next morning was great. They could sleep for as long as they wanted without their parents coming to wake them up. Although, it was cold and the ground was hard, so they didn’t sleep for long anyway, but when they eventually found somewhere warm, Jack knew it would be worth it.

He also woke up hungry, but thankfully one of his friends packed some bread and they shared it out for breakfast.

As they walked further through the forest, they played games and climbed trees along the way. They laughed the whole way, and it was just like how Jack had pictured it. He didn’t once think about his family that he’d left behind.

At some point, they came across a river. It stretched far from the left of the path, all the way to the right. There was no way they’d be able to find a way around it, so they’d have to go through it.

“I’m sure it’s easy,” Nibs said breezily as he approached the river. “It looks shallow.”

“I don’t know, Nibs. Maybe we should find another way.” The water seemed fast and strong.

“Jack, you worry too much.” Nibs grinned at him before he stepped down the bank to the river. “Look, I’ll go first and show you how easy it is.”

Nibs stepped into the water. Jack was worried that it was going to be deeper than it looked, but it only went up to his chest.

However, Nibs only made it another step into the river before the force of the water swept him off his feet and his head went under.

“Nibs!” Jack cried. He hurried to the water to grab him, but so did the rest of his friends.

The bank crumbled under their weight, and then they were all tumbling into the river.

Jack gasped at the sudden shock of how cold the water was, but that was a mistake as water was sucked in on his next breath.

He spluttered as his head broke the surface, but it wasn’t long before he was under again. He could feel the water whisking him down the river, and he scrambled to find purchase on anything.

Jack then hit a rock, hard, but it prevented the river from sending him any further away.

He gripped onto the rock and pulled himself above the water. He gasped in quick breaths as he tried to see where he was.

“Nibs!” He called to his best friend, but he could see no sign of him.

With all his strength, Jack managed to pull himself up onto the small surface of the rock.

“Nibs!” He tried again, but there was still nothing. The river around him was devoid of any of his friends.

The rock he was on was close to the bank of the river, and he managed to jump back onto the dry land.

He laid there, panting, for a few minutes before he scrambled to his feet.

He had to find his friends.

Jack didn’t know how long he had been searching for, but it must have been hours as the sun was beginning to set.

He’d been walking up the side of the river all day searching for any one of his friends. However, he had found no sign of any of them.

His legs were aching, and he collapsed down on the ground. He started to cry as the hope of seeing his friends again diminished. He had no idea where he was and couldn’t call for help. He couldn’t even head back home.

Deep down he knew he shouldn’t. His parents would kill him after they found out what had happened, but it wasn’t even just that. All his friends wanted was to just be kids for a little longer. Would it be wrong for Jack to throw that away and run back to it all?

Jack cried as he thought about it all. All they had wanted was to not grow up.

How cruel that now they never would.


	6. Sleeping Beauty

_The eleventh fairy had just presented her gift when the thirteenth fairy walked in. She was very angry that she had not been invited and cried out, “Because you did not invite me, I tell you that in her fifteenth year, your daughter will prick herself with a spindle and fall over dead.”_

She hurried to keep up as he pulled her along behind him. She almost tripped over a tree root, but his hand in hers kept her upright.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” She asked as she cast a fearful glance at the forest around them. It was dark around them even though it was still the afternoon. The trees were thick and grew close to each other, blocking any sun from getting in.

“Sure!” Jeremy, her love, stopped to turn around and give her a wide grin. “Where else can we be alone?”

“I know, it’s just-” She looked up at the trees around them, dark and looming. “This place…”

There were many stories about this forest. How it was apparently haunted by those who passed whilst travelling through there, or about how it was enchanted by witches long ago. It was eerie, and she didn’t like the way it sent chills down her spine.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Jeremy stepped forward and kissed her with a smile, before he was leading her through the forest again.

They were trying to find a quiet place where they could sit and be alone for a while, away from the chaos of their lives.

“Whoa, look at this place,” Jeremy said as they came into a clearing.

In the centre of it sat an old cottage. There were cobwebs all over the windows and vines growing up the side, like it had been abandoned for years.

Jeremy let go of her hand as he approached the building, but she still stood at the edge of the clearing.

“I don’t like the look of this place.” It was giving her the creeps, and made her wonder what kind of person would live in a forest like this.

Jeremy pressed his face up against one of the front windows.

“Looks empty. Want to take a look inside?” He turned and gave her a hopeful look, and she couldn’t resist the childish glee on his face.

She knew there was nothing worth worrying about, she was just being silly, so she nodded and approached the cottage.

“Sure.”

Jeremy turned to the front door, and in one swift kick, the rotten wood snapped under the force and the door swung open.

Inside it was dusty and cold, and smelt damp. She coughed as she breathed in some of the dust in the air.

There were only a few pieces of furniture left inside, all of it looking old and like it was falling apart.

“Hey, what’s this?” Jeremy made his way over to something that was propped up in the corner of the room.

She followed behind him and looked over his shoulder to see what it was that he was talking about, and she recognised it immediately.

“It’s a spinning wheel,” she informed him. “It’s for spinning thread.”

“Aah.” Jeremy nodded and ran his finger along the top of it. His finger came back thick with dust.

She turned away and started to walk around the room. They were in what appeared to once be a living room. There were a few doors that lead to further rooms in the cottage, but it appeared to be pretty small.

There was a yell behind her, and she spun around quickly. Jeremy was still standing next to the spinning wheel, but now his finger was in his mouth.

“What happened?” She hurried back over to his side.

“I cut my finger on that spike.” He took his finger out of his mouth and pointed at the tip of the spindle.

“Let me take a look at it.” She gently lifted his hand and inspected his finger. There was only a small cut at the end of his index finger, and it had already stopped bleeding. “I think you’ll live.”

“It damn hurt, though,” he whined.

She laughed and began to pull him back to the door.

“Let’s go, there doesn’t seem to be anything interesting here anyway.”

He began to follow her, but just as she stepped out of the cottage, Jeremy’s hand slipped from hers.

She stopped in confusion and turned about to face him, but what she saw she was not expecting.

“Jeremy!” She fell down at his side. He was slumped over in the doorway of the cottage, unresponsive to her calls. “Jeremy?”

She put a hand to his face, but his eyes didn’t open.

She didn’t understand what had happened. He seemed fine before, so why was he now unconscious on the floor?

She moved her hand down to his chest, but she panicked as she couldn’t feel his heartbeat. It was then that she realised he wasn’t breathing.

“Jeremy, don’t do this to me!” She didn’t know what to do, she’d never been in a situation like this before. She didn’t even know what the problem was.

Tears began to fill her eyes and drip down her cheeks. She leant down and rested her forehead against his.

“Please, Jeremy.” In all her hopelessness, she leant down and gave him a kiss. It wouldn’t help, but for some reason it was all she could think of to do.

She sat back up again, but as she did so, a wave of dizziness hit her. She held her hand to her head and willed it to go away, but it didn’t relent. It just grew worse, to the point where her hands were in the grass in an attempt to keep her from collapsing forward.

It didn’t help, as darkness grew at the edges of her vision until she couldn’t see, and she fell down next to her love. And then she felt nothing.

Jeremy awoke with a gasp. He had no idea what had happened. The last thing he remembered was pricking his finger on that dusty, old spinning wheel, and now he was waking up on the grass.

He sat up and rubbed his head where a headache was still throbbing, although subsiding, and looked around.

His eyes widened when he saw the body of his love lying next to him on the ground. When he touched her, her body was cold.

He didn’t understand, what had happened?

Her skin was pale, which made the red on her hand stand out. He frowned as he lifted it closer to his face, and saw that it originated from a cut at the end of her finger.

It was just like his, but when he looked at where he was sure his own cut was, it was gone.

It started to dawn on him what was happening, and his breath came quick as fear filled him.

“No…” He whispered as he pulled her close. “No, no, no.”

_She traded her life for yours._

He felt like it was whispered in his ear, but he didn’t know where from or who said it. Maybe he had imagined it, like it was just the wind whistling as it passed by, but somehow, deep down, he knew it was true.

Her head was in his lap and he bent down to kiss her forehead. Her skin was freezing against his lips, but he was there for a long moment before he pulled away.

He didn’t know what to do now, but he couldn’t get himself to get up and leave. So, he instead sat there for a long while, crying as he held the limp body of his love in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this story, but I have a couple more story ideas that'll be set after this!


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